Forbidden
by ShadowedDemon
Summary: YAOI! KuramaXHiei. Hiei has been away from the Ningenkai for seven years and he returns to find himself forgotten. But did the fox truly forget Hiei, or was someone trying to break the two up? Hope I rated this right. Read and Review!
1. Returnbut where's the welcoming

DISCLAIMER: Me, own YYH? Don't make me laugh! HAHAH*cough cough choke cough*  
Kit: Heimlich Maneuver!  
Me: No *cough* stay *cough* away  
Kit: She doesn't know what she's saying! She's becoming delirious!  
Shayda: Maybe you should just leave her alone,  
Me: *nodding furiously* ^_^  
Kit: Nonsense!  
Me: O_o`  
  
Me: (I'm new on Fanfiction.net so you probably don't know those are my muses!)  
  
NOTE: I got this idea after watching Peter Pan...actually, I got two ideas but this is only the first one. I'm going to be writing a Peter Pan and YYH crossover...don't know why, but I decided I wanted to. Anyhoo, I got this idea from that movie so if it sounds a lot like that, that would be why.  
Kit: It's better than it sounds!  
Kori: Yeah, listen to her!  
  
SECOND NOTE: If you like Mukuro (which I'm not saying I don't cuz I do) then it would be a good idea not to read this. I make Mukuro the bad guy in this fic and you don't want to read if you don't like that. Read it at your own risk and don't tell me that she wouldn't do that cuz this is FANFICTION, emphasis on the fiction part. Meaning it's not real. I know she might not act like this but I decided that it was good for this fic so SUE ME okay?!?! Jeez! Audience: O_o  
  
'Thoughts' ~Yoko talking~ "Normal Speech" (I hope everyone knew that one already) Words in italics mean emphasis on that word.  
  


* * *

  
Forgotten  
  
Hiei charged with all his anger and he turned his sword slightly. He slashed at his opponent but she dodged every slice. Hiei growled and stopped his attack in mid swing to slice her shoulder with an unexpected swing of his katana.  
"Stop!" Mukuro yelled and Hiei smirked. She stepped away from the demon who kept his grip on the sword, pulling it out of her shoulder as she stepped back.  
"What, no more fighting? I thought you wanted to train Mukuro?" Hiei mocked and the lord grew angry.  
"That was horrible! Anyone could have predicted that you would do that. We're going to train until you get this right!" Mukuro yelled and Hiei growled and his eyes became steeled.  
"I am sick of this Mukuro! You say that what I do is never right and yet I continue to trick you with the same moves that you demanded I do! I am sick of being here if you're never going to let me go! I am leaving," Hiei yelled at the lord and sheathed his katana. He turned around and was about to run off when Mukuro's voice stopped him.  
"You walk off now and you will never be permitted back in this territory again," she shouted to the retreating figure that stopped. Hiei turned around and his eyes were cold.  
"That won't work on me again Mukuro," he said as he pointed at the lord. "I don't care if I wont have a place to go in the Makai. At least I'll have a place in the Ningenkai. I am not coming back here any more. Seven years is longer than I should have stayed!" [1]  
"Hiei!" Mukuro yelled but the fire demon did not stop as he turned around and raced off. Mukuro growled and grabbed her shoulder that was bleeding as she turned and walked towards her palace.  
She slammed the door of her large throne room open, causing several demons within to flinch away.  
"GUARDS!" she yelled and two large demons promptly made their way to her. "Everyone else OUT!"  
Every figure in that room quickly made their way quickly out of the throne room. The guards quivered slightly as she stomped over to the throne and threw herself down.  
"Now listen carefully. I want you to go to the Ningenkai..." her voice grew to just below a whisper as the guards listened carefully. Ten minutes later, the two guards exited the throne room and recruited three others of the guard. The five left the palace grounds quickly.  
  


* * *

  
Hiei raced to the portal, feeling better than he had in seven years. He was finally free of Mukuro and he could return to his fox. His feet moved on their own accord as they traveled a path that he could never forget.  
He made quick time to the portal, stepping easily through to the human world. Looking around he noticed that not much had changed in the last seven years. He quickly headed for Kurama's house when a thought stopped him dead.  
'What if he doesn't live their anymore? Ningen's usually move out of their parent's house when they reach a specific age...don't they?' Hiei thought in worry when he almost smirked at his foolishness.  
He raised his hand and removed the bandana covering his jagan. Quietly, he searched for his fox's ki and found him a long way from where his mother's house was. Glad that he had checked, he sped off in the direction of his koi. Hiei arrived in front of a large house built in a rich neighborhood. It was a white, two-story house with two balconies with black iron rails. There were many windows and the front doors were a deep wood with windows three fourths of the way up both doors.  
'Kurama's done well for himself in the Ningenkai,' Hiei thought. He jumped onto one of the balconies and looked into the room. It had a dark covered bed with a dark mesh draped over the four-poster. The room was neat and looked like it had not been used recently.  
Hiei moved to the next balcony and looked in. His eyes opened wide at what he saw. Kurama was sitting on the bed with his back to the fire demon. His red hair flowed down his back. It hadn't gotten much longer, and from what Hiei could tell, he hadn't seemed to age any.  
The fire demon raised his hand to the window and pushed...it didn't open. The window was locked! When had that ever happened? Kurama always kept the window open or unlocked if it was cold.  
Confused, Hiei took out his katana and slid it into the crack between the windowpanes. Gently bringing it up, he felt the hook come up and slide down, unlocking the window. He pushed slightly on it and it opened quietly. The fire demon jumped inside.  
  


* * *

  
Kurama was sitting gently on the bed, staring of into space. Occasionally, he still went into his deep depression stages. Like now, his thoughts wandered and his eyes couldn't focus on anything.  
Kurama sighed and was about to stand up when he heard the light sound of footfalls behind him. He turned his head and jumped up off the bed at what he saw. Hiei was standing there, looking the exact same as he had when he left Kurama's room seven years ago. The fox took a step back at the sight of the black clad demon.  
"Hiei...wh...how?" he stumbled as the fire demon looked him up and down. Hiei focused on his eyes and stared deep into them. Kurama became slightly nervous and took another step back. The fire demon's eyes took on a look of confusion.  
"Fox..." Hiei said softly as he took a step forward.  
"Hiei...why?" Kurama said taking a nervous step back and Hiei stopped moving forward. He looked into Kurama's eyes and saw hurt and confusion. The fire demon opened his mouth to question the fox when a female voice echoed from the hall.  
"Shuichi, honey?" the voice came through the door. Kurama flinched and turned his head towards the door. Hiei looked from his fox to the door. "Could you take Amy to school today?"  
A small girl ran into the room and grabbed Kurama's hand. She looked to be about five with dark hair and clear blue eyes. The small child was wearing a deep blue school uniform.  
"Of course," Kurama replied to the unseen owner of the voice. He bent down with a smile and picked the child up. The small girl pulled on his side lock of hair.  
"Who's he?" she whispered in a beautiful voice that was as cheerful as Botan's. Kurama took her little hand off of his hair.  
"A friend, but don't tell mommy okay?" he said playfully. She nodded and he turned back to Hiei. Kurama's smile dropped when he saw Hiei's eyes.  
Hurt, betrayal, and pain lingered in his blood red eyes. This time, it was the demon's turn to take a step back.  
"Hiei!" Kurama yelled as he realized that the demon was going to run. Hiei looked from him to the child in his arms and back to Kurama. Betrayal held his eyes before he jumped out the window and fled. "HIEI!" Kurama ran onto the balcony and searched for the demon but he was long gone. The red haired human bowed his head as he felt a small hand pulling on his hair again. He turned to the young child.  
"Can I tell daddy?" she asked quietly and Kurama gave her a small, sad smile.  
"No Amy, don't tell your daddy either, okay?"  
"Okay, I won't Uncle Shuichi!" she promised enthusiastically as he set her back down on the ground. The girl ran out the door and Kurama followed, grabbing his jacket and keys off of the bed. He grabbed the girl and hoisted her up onto his shoulder as he exited his brother's house. [2]  
  


* * *

  
Back at Mukuro's palace, a single figure draped in black exited the bionic lord's throne room. He quietly strode out of the palace and towards the nearest portal.  
  


* * *

  
Hiei ran as he felt a familiar sting in the back of his eyes. He had only cried a few times in his life and it seemed as if he could add one to the count. A tear rolled down his cheek and crystallized as he ran.  
He stopped in front of the temple, unaware that that was where he had been heading. Not wanting to be seen, he turned to leave when a voice rang through the air.  
"Hiei-san!" his sweet little sister's voice echoed over to him and he stopped dead. Closing his eyes and sighing, he turned around as his sister ran up to him. "Oh, Hiei-san, where have you been!"  
"A...away Yukina," he tried to hide the pain in his voice but his sister knew him well enough to know that something was wrong.  
"What is it, Hiei-san?" she asked as she extended a comforting hand but Hiei pulled away.  
"Nothing," Hiei lied and turned to go.  
"You're leaving already? But...you just got here and we haven't seen you in so long!" she attempted to get him to stay but he didn't turn around as he spoke.  
"I'm sorry Yukina, but I can't be here. I was wrong to come back after so long," Hiei said as another tear threatened to fall. He held it back and was about to run when Yukina stopped him dead.  
"It's Kurama-san, isn't it?" her sweet voice was sad but serious. Hiei turned slowly around and stared at his sister. Her red eyes were sad and held pain but sympathy for her unknown brother.  
"Yu...Yukina," Hiei managed as the tear threatened to fall again. Kurama and Hiei had never told anyone about them...it seems some of the gang had figured it out.  
"You two were happy together...but then you left," Yukina began. Hiei took a step towards his sister but she turned away. He hated to see her this sad.  
"Don't cry, Yukina. I'll...I'll stay," he said softly and she turned to him with less sorrow in her eyes. He sighed and followed her into the temple. Much like everything else, it had not changed in the seven years that had passed.  
'It seems the only thing that has changed is Kurama's love...' Hiei thought in bitter sorrow. They walked through the halls and entered the large statue room. When they walked inside, Hiei saw the second to last thing he wanted to see.  
"Hiei!" Yusuke shouted as he jumped off the statue he had been sitting on. The entire group except Kurama, Botan, and Koenma had been talking in the statue room when the door had opened. Yusuke was the first to spot the fire demon and everyone turned at his shout.  
Yukina grabbed Hiei's hand as he turned to leave and pulled him gently into the statue room. Yusuke ran up to him and he steeled his eyes, just as he always did.  
"Do you know how long it's been since you left?!?" Yusuke shouted at the fire demon as the rest of the group gathered around Hiei.  
"Seven years, baka. I can count," Hiei responded coolly as his insides squirmed and his eyes continued to sting. Yusuke just looked at him incredulously.  
"Why didn't you ever come back?" Kuwabara asked. He looked like he was actually happy to see the fire demon. Hiei raised an eyebrow at the human. "What? I haven't had anyone to yell at shrimp!"  
"Hn," Hiei replied nonchalantly. "Can I go now?"  
"But you just got here!" Keiko refused as she stepped next to her husband. Hiei turned to her.  
"You're point?" the fire demon snapped and Yusuke scowled at him.  
"Like it or not, you punk, we care about you and we happen to know you better than you think. What's wrong?" Yusuke asked in a serious tone and Hiei growled.  
"If I wanted you to know, I would have told you!" he growled and turned to leave when Yusuke grabbed his scarf.  
"You're not leaving until you tell us what's wrong. We're not as stupid as you think. This is about Kurama isn't it?" the once delinquent asked and Hiei turned to him but his eyes wavered.  
"That is none of your business. Now let me go, Detective!" Hiei yelled and Yusuke let go of his scarf. The fire demon growled before he ran out of the temple. He ran as far away as he could get, ignoring his sister's calls or his old teammates shouts.  
  


* * *

  
Kurama dropped his niece off at her school and headed for his work. He had debated whether or not to go to the temple but he figured that Hiei would have left by then.  
Sighing, he entered his office...and was greeted by Yusuke. The raven- haired boy smiled at his stunned teammate.  
"Hey, K'rama, what's up?" he tried to sound happy and cheerful, but the yoko was rather good at seeing past his fake emotions.  
"I'm guessing you know?" Kurama said as he set down the things he was carrying and sat down. Yusuke remained standing but his smile faded and his eyes took on a look of sadness.  
"Yeah...Yukina got him into the temple for a few minutes," he informed the kitsune. "He definitely was not himself. He acted just like he used to but underneath his steeled eyes was pain and confusion...and...betrayal."  
Kurama sighed in frustration and sorrow. "I don't think I can handle this right now," he said as he laid his head in his hands. Yusuke watched as the paper underneath the kitsune's elbows slowly collected drops of salty tears.  
"Kurama," he said softly as he moved around the desk. He gripped the fox's shoulder and tried his best to comfort the fox.  
"I can't take this, Yusuke. You know how long it took...and now..." Kurama shook his head as if to clear it of haze.  
"I know, Kurama, I know. Look, go home. I already told you're stepfather that you weren't feeling well and that you needed the day off," Yusuke reassured the fox. "I'll handle Hiei."  
The fox simply nodded and sat up. Yusuke helped him gather what he needed and followed him out to the car. Kurama climbed in and drove off after thanking Yusuke.  
"Yeah, I'll handle Hiei...somehow..."  
  


* * *

  
The fire demon sat on a rock, shining his katana. He was on the edge of a lake that was miles outside of the city. It was in the hills of Tokyo and Hiei thanked for the silence. Around the rock were dozens of tear gems. Another slid off the rock and joined the building pile with a clink.  
The fire demon wasn't sure what to do anymore. He had no place to go in the Makai and the only person he loved in the Ningenkai had forgotten him. He took one of the gems that rested atop the rock and threw it far into the lake. Pain and sadness whelmed inside of him and he looked at the sword in his hands.  
It would be so easy to just end it all...right now. But he couldn't. He knew that he could live without anyone. He had done it before, before he met Kurama. He did it once and he could do it again.  
Though, the thought of how lonely that life would be brought despair back to the fire demon. Unsure of what to do, he began cleaning the sword again.  
"Hiei!" a familiar voice rang through the surrounding trees and Hiei stood up in a flash. He watched as Yusuke emerged from the trees with his ki completely hidden. Hiei turned to leave when the detective stopped walking towards him.  
"Please don't run, Hiei," Yusuke's voice was soft and Hiei felt inclined to listen to him. "Please don't run off again. I think we need to talk."  
"We need to talk of nothing," Hiei spat out but did not run.  
"Yes we do," Yusuke argued. He slowly approached the rock Hiei was on. When the fire demon did not run, he jumped up onto the rock and sat down after clearing the gems off. Hiei slowly followed suit in sitting back down.  
"Look, I think you misinterpreted [3] Kurama and I think we need to talk about it," Yusuke said softly but Hiei just snorted.  
"How could I misinterpret what I saw? He forgot me, Yusuke...what else is there to talk about," Hiei stated sadly. "He closed his window...and forgot me." [4]  
"Hiei, he had to close that window a long time ago," Yusuke said as he looked out over the lake. The sun was almost directly ahead and the reflection on the lake was amazing. "You never came back."  
"That would never have stopped him from finding me," Hiei argued back as he also looked out over the lake.  
"It didn't. After seven months of waiting, Kurama grew worried and went to the Makai. The first time, he only asked Mukuro's guards if you were still living. When they said that you were, he decided that you must have not been permitted to leave yet. He chose to wait back in the Ningenkai, not wanting to bother you. After a year and nine months, he went back. The guards told him the same thing but this time he demanded that he be allowed to see you. They didn't let him in and he had no choice but to leave," Yusuke told as he recalled everything that had happened. "At two years and three months, Kurama couldn't stand it. He went back and this time, the guards told him that you had left him a message."  
"I never left him a message," Hiei retorted as he listened to Yusuke. "What did I tell them to say?"  
"Well...the message said that you were over him, that it was over and that you never wanted to see him again...ever," Yusuke told Hiei cautiously as he watched the demon grow angry.  
"I would never say something like that..." Hiei growled through clenched teeth. He took a deep breath and relaxed. "It wouldn't have mattered. Kurama would never believe that!"  
"He didn't. He came back three months later and this time Mukuro came out and told him personally that it was over. You no longer cared about him and you would kill him if you ever saw him again."  
Hiei eyes burned with hatred and anger as he heard Mukuro's name. No wonder Kurama had looked shocked to see him in his room. He clenched his fists. If Yusuke hadn't begun talking again, he would have run off to pay Mukuro a quick visit for payback.  
"Well, he demanded that he see you, even if you would just kill him like she claimed. Mukuro denied him entrance and told the guards to kill him or Yoko if either entered her territory again," Yusuke continued as he watched Hiei burn with anger. "After that, Kurama couldn't go back. But he still believed that you loved him and he waited. He thought that if you still truly loved him, and this was just a jealous problem Mukuro was dealing with, that you would come back. Hiei, after two years of waiting for you, he started to believe that what Mukuro had said was true."  
"But...What of Yoko?"  
"He began to believe too. They both did. Hiei, after four years of never seeing you, of never hearing from you, of you never coming back, they had no other explanation. You never came back, and there was no other reason for it other than what the message had said. We tried to comfort him, but over the two years, he had sunk into a depressed state of mind."  
"But...what of his ningen mother? He still had her. She would have kept him healthy and happy," Hiei tried to reason with his own feelings.  
"Hiei," Yusuke said in a voice filled with so much sadness that the fire demon turned to the detective. He met chocolate brown eyes filled with sorrow and pity. "Shiori died two years ago. It was at that time that Kurama really began to believe that you would never come back. He believed he was alone...and he was, in a sense, right. God, I've never seen him like that. In one month, he tried to kill himself six times, Hiei. Six times."  
The fire demon suddenly found breathing much more difficult. His fox had needed him and he hadn't been there. Kurama's mother had died and he had no one to comfort him. On top of that, Kurama thought that Hiei had abandoned him. The fire demon had thought that he was the forgotten one, how must the fox have felt?  
"We got lucky and caught him each time before he could succeed in killing himself. He got really close once...he barely made it. It took all of us a year to get him out of it. He's never been quite the same, but he has learned to be happy again," Yusuke looked down at the rock and Hiei's saddened gaze of terrified shock drifted back to the lake. "I was with him when he locked his window, Hiei. I was there when he gave up all hope of you ever coming back..."  
  
~~~~Flashback  
  


* * *

  
"Kurama, you coming?" Yusuke called up the stairs. When he didn't hear a respond, he got nervous and raced up the stairs. Kurama hadn't been doing well lately. He had tried his second suicide attempt yesterday.  
Yusuke ran into Kurama's bedroom of his apartment and saw the fox staring out the window. He took a step towards Kurama when he heard him whisper out into the air.  
"Goodbye, Hiei. I'll never forget you...I promise," the fox whispered to the wind. Yusuke watched in shock as Kurama slowly pulled the window closed and hooked the latch. He turned around to face the detective.  
His green eyes were full of depression, sadness, and despair. He looked tired and his red hair was not well kept. He no longer held himself with the pride and grace of the Yoko within. Both had been suffering. A single tear moved slowly down the fox's cheek and passed his lips. Lips that had not formed his stunning smile in months.  
"I've said goodbye and he's not coming back. Let's go..."  
  
~~~End Flashback  
  


* * *

  
"No one can wait forever, Hiei. Especially not when they have no hope," Yusuke said as he finished his story. "But he never broke his promise. He never forgot you, Hiei."  
"Wh...what about his child?" Hiei stumbled as he tried to keep himself from crying again.  
"What child?"  
"The little human girl. Amy...she had dark hair and blue eyes," Hiei said as he turned to Yusuke. The detective was staring at him.  
"Hiei, that was his niece. His little brother's daughter," Yusuke informed the demon whose eyes opened wide. "I told you, he never forgot you. He never even looked for another to love. He never found someone to care for...and he never found someone to care for him..."  
"Fox...I left you alone for so long..." it was a whisper. Suddenly Yusuke's words sunk in. "You mean..."  
"Yeah, Hiei, he still loves you...but he doesn't think that you love him."  
"I...I should have come back...I shouldn't have listened to Mukuro...she said he never came by...Mukuro," Hiei spat out the name in hatred and anger. "That bionic bitch! I'll kill her...she ruined my chance of being happy!"  
"No Hiei, she damaged your chance, but it's still there. Come with me to Kurama's," Yusuke offered as he stood up and the fire demon turned to him.  
"But...after everything I've done...he should hate me," Hiei sunk back into despair.  
"I can't believe you Hiei! Are you going to leave him again?!" the detective yelled and Hiei looked up to him. "You left him alone once because you believed a lie that Mukuro had told you! Now you're going to do it again because you think he has good reason to hate you!"  
Hiei growled and stood up. "I never left him and I'm not going to do it now so SHUT UP!" he yelled and Yusuke smirked.  
"Much better, now come on," Yusuke said and jumped off the rock. Hiei stared at him for a moment before he shook his head and followed, knowing Yusuke had tricked him into going.  
  


* * *

  
Kurama pulled into the driveway of his house and shut off the engine. He leaned his head back against the seat as a tear made it's way down his cheek. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped out of the car.  
Quietly, he closed it and leaned against the car for a second. Trying to clear his misty eyes and confused mind, he took another deep breath. He made his way up to his house.  
It was a two-story house of white paint with deep red linings on the garage and front door. Deep oak wood made up the door and a rose was engraved in the window three-fourths the way up the entrance. Plants and trees of all types surrounded the house.  
For his love of nature, Kurama had bought a house near the hills where there was more space and the beauty was unlimited. His backyard extended into the forested hills and six months ago, his friends had helped him build a pond with willow trees and a small waterfall flowing off of the nearby river. It had soon built up into a small lake and teemed with wildlife. It was the perfect way off getting away when the world just seemed too much to handle.  
Kurama was tempted to just go around to the back of the house but he did need to put his work things inside. Sighing, he opened the wooden door and stepped inside his neatly kept house. Kicking off his shoes, he walked into the office room and set what he was carrying on the corner desk.  
He walked back out of the room and turned left to the kitchen. He paused at the door to the outside as he heard a small noise behind him. He extended his senses as he opened the door.  
Suddenly the fox ducked as a punch went through the air. He dropped to the ground and swung his leg out behind him, catching his attacker off guard. The figured fell to the floor hard. Kurama stood up and turned to his attacker when a large weight slammed into him and he fell to the ground, hitting his head in the process.  
Quickly, he grabbed a seed and grew it into a long plant sword. He shoved his attacker off him with a punch to the face. Standing up, he held the plant in a defensive position as he looked around at his attackers.  
They totaled five in all (including the demon now holding his nose) and they were dressed in guards' uniforms of oranges and dim grayish greens [5]. Kurama knew those uniforms. He'd seen them too many times to forget those.  
'Mukuro!' Kurama thought in anger. 'I should have expected something like this.'  
One of the demons chuckled. "Yes, you should have!"  
"Telepathy!" Kurama said in shock as he built a mental wall around his thoughts. The demon laughed and took out a dagger from his boot.  
"Well, Lord Mukuro would like a word with you," the same demon said. He had bright orange hair and a third eye that looked natural under his bangs. Suddenly he lunged at the fox who dodged and moved to attack when a purple haired demon swiped at him with a sword of pure ice. Kurama did a back handspring to avoid her attack.  
A blue haired demon slammed into the kitsune and caught him off guard. The two fell to the ground as Kurama shoved his vine sword into the arm of the demon. He screamed as the sharp weapon pierced his skin. Kurama kicked him in the chest as blood began to splatter atop of the kitsune. The demon stumbled back, the sword still sticking through his arm.  
Kurama moved to sit up but another demon came and slashed at him with a sword. He rolled and stood up only to stumble back, avoiding another swipe.  
'They're attacking me one by one when they know I cannot take all five of them...' Kurama thought as his eyes took on a cold aspect of anger. 'They're just toying with me...a game for them...Well, two can play this game'  
Kurama smiled as the demon approached him again. Mist began to surround him and he heard the orange haired demon shout a command: stop him. The Yoko's hair was just streaking silver and his fox accessories had just grown in when he felt the cold touch of metal to his throat.  
"Don't even think about it, fox," a deep voice came from behind him. The owner of the voice grabbed the kitsune's wrist and twisted it up to his back. Kurama, still in shock that someone had made it through the mist that surrounded him, could only grimace at the sharp pain that lanced up his shoulder. Normally, it didn't take long to transform but the mist that surrounded the Yoko was dangerous and full of his ki in case any demon attempted to come through. [6]  
Having no other choice, he stopped in mid transformation and the mist slowly disappeared. When he was visible to the other demons, they looked surprised at the stop when their eyes drifted to the dagger and then to the owner. Recognition and then amusement rushed through their eyes as they surrounded the fox and took out wards. Kurama growled at his unseen captive but that got him nowhere.  
"Don't fuss fox and just relax, we're not here to hurt you," the deep voice came from beside his ear but the fox only growled again. Kurama struggled as the demon kept him immobile. "Relax, relax, fox. This won't take long...just relax."  
The orange haired demon stepped forth, wards in one of his clawed hands. Kurama kicked out at the demon but he was held from behind. Long, silky black hair fell over Kurama's shoulder as his captive leaned in so that his mouth was hovering next to the kitsune's ear.  
"Stop struggling fox," the voice grumbled softly but Kurama did not listen. He fought against the hand gripping his wrist as the other demons tried to slip the wards onto him.  
"Stop, fox. I don't want to have to hurt you more," the voice warned as his arm was pulled lightly and his shoulder began to ache. Reluctantly, Kurama stopped his struggles as the ache turned into a throbbing. The hand holding his wrist loosened. "There, now relax, we're not going to hurt you."  
"Like hell you aren't," the fox growled but he kept his rebellious thoughts down. The demon chuckled and the orange haired one neared.  
"Now just stay still, fox," the deep voice whispered into his ear. "This won't hurt, but we can't have you using your energy."  
The orange haired demon held out a ward and grabbed Kurama's wrist. The fox struggled but stopped as his aching shoulder was wrenched up even farther. The ward was tied tightly over his wrist.  
His demon captive slowly loosed his grip and let the sore arm fall back down. There it was warded. One more ward was held up by the orange- headed demon and at the sight of it Kurama tried to back away as the demon neared.  
"No, fox. Just relax, just one more ward," his captives annoyingly soothing voice calmed the fox.  
"No...get that away from me..." Kurama tried to pull away again put the soothing voice echoed in his ears and he found his muscles in a sort of trance.  
'His voice...what's it doing to me...I cant gather the strength to move...'  
  
The orange demon leaned in and wrapped the ward around the fox's neck twice and Kurama immediately fell limp in the demon's hands, though he was not unconscious.  
The ward was of a common kind, used when one does not wish his victim to fight. It renders one's defenses completely useless and takes away all ability to argue or defy a command. If brought to it's full power, it will render the victim completely immobile. But when first placed upon the body, it cannot handle the effect and the user passes out from pure exhaust of his or her natural fighting towards the ward.  
"There, that's better," the demon said as he supported the kitsune. "We're just going to take a short trip into the Makai."  
'No...' Kurama thought as he drifted in and out of consciousness, unable to move. 'Mukuro only wants me as bait...no...I can't let her. I'll kill myself before I allow her to use me to her liking...'  
"Sleep, fox. Sleep," the deep voice came from behind him and Kurama felt his eyelids close and he knew no more.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	2. Reasons

DISCLAIMER: I think we all know what this is going to say so I'm not going to put it up.  
  
NOTE: I reread my first chapter and I realized that I had mentioned some things that might not have made perfect sense at he time. Kit: Example? Me: When I said Kurama sometimes slips back into his depression stages. Yeah, well you'll learn about what those were about in this chapter. And like who the guy who left Mukuro's palace and stuff. Anyways, if I got any info wrong or anything, just let me know in a review or an e-mail. Thanx!  
  
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CHAPTER 2 - Reasons  
  
The fire demon sat on a rock, shining his katana. He was on the edge of a lake that was miles outside of the city. It was in the hills of Tokyo and Hiei thanked for the silence. Around the rock were dozens of tear gems. Another slid off the rock and joined the building pile with a clink.  
The fire demon wasn't sure what to do anymore. He had no place to go in the Makai and the only person he loved in the Ningenkai had forgotten him. He took one of the gems that rested atop the rock and threw it far into the lake. Pain and sadness whelmed inside of him and he looked at the sword in his hands.  
It would be so easy to just end it all...right now. But he couldn't. He knew that he could live without anyone. He had done it before, before he met Kurama. He did it once and he could do it again.  
Though, the thought of how lonely that life would be brought despair back to the fire demon. Unsure of what to do, he began cleaning the sword again.  
"Hiei!" a familiar voice rang through the surrounding trees and Hiei stood up in a flash. He watched as Yusuke emerged from the trees with his ki completely hidden. Hiei turned to leave when the detective stopped walking towards him.  
"Please don't run, Hiei," Yusuke's voice was soft and Hiei felt inclined to listen to him. "Please don't run off again. I think we need to talk."  
"We need to talk of nothing," Hiei spat out but did not run.  
"Yes we do," Yusuke argued. He slowly approached the rock Hiei was on. When the fire demon did not run, he jumped up onto it and sat down after clearing the gems off. Hiei slowly followed suit in sitting back down.  
"Look, I think you misinterpreted [3] Kurama and I think we need to talk about it," Yusuke said softly but Hiei just snorted.  
"How could I misinterpret what I saw? He forgot me, Yusuke...what else is there to talk about," Hiei stated sadly. "He closed his window...and forgot me." [4]  
"Hiei, he had to close that window a long time ago [4 ½]," Yusuke said as he looked out over the lake. The sun was almost directly ahead and the reflection on the lake was amazing. "You never came back."  
"That would never have stopped him from finding me," Hiei argued back as he also looked out over the lake.  
"It didn't. After seven months of waiting, Kurama grew worried and went to the Makai. The first time, he only asked Mukuro's guards if you were still living. When they said that you were, he decided that you must have not been permitted to leave yet. He chose to wait back in the Ningenkai, not wanting to bother you. After a year and nine months, he went back. The guards told him the same thing but this time he demanded that he be allowed to see you. They didn't let him in and he had no choice but to leave," Yusuke told as he recalled everything that had happened. "At two years and three months, Kurama couldn't stand it. He went back and this time, the guards told him that you had left him a message."  
"I never left him a message," Hiei retorted as he listened to Yusuke. "What did it tell them to say?"  
"Well...the message said that you were over him, that it was over and that you never wanted to see him again...ever," Yusuke told Hiei cautiously as he watched the demon grow angry.  
"I would never say something like that..." Hiei growled through clenched teeth. He took a deep breath and relaxed. "It wouldn't have mattered. Kurama would never believe that!"  
"He didn't. He came back three months later and this time Mukuro came out and told him personally that it was over. You no longer cared about him and you would kill him if you ever saw him again."  
Hiei eyes burned with hatred and anger as he heard Mukuro's name. No wonder Kurama had looked shocked to see him in his room. He clenched his fists. If Yusuke hadn't begun talking again, he would have run off to pay Mukuro a quick visit for payback.  
"Well, he demanded that he see you, even if you would just kill him like she claimed. Mukuro denied him entrance and told the guards to kill him or Yoko if either entered her territory again," Yusuke continued as he watched Hiei burn with anger. "After that, Kurama couldn't go back. But he still believed that you loved him and he waited. He thought that if you still truly loved him, and this was just a jealous problem Mukuro was dealing with, that you would come back. Hiei, after two years of waiting for you, he started to believe that what Mukuro had said was true."  
"But...What of Yoko?"  
"He began to believe too. They both did. Hiei, after four years of never seeing you, of never hearing from you, of you never coming back, they had no other explanation. You never came back, and there was no other reason for it other than what the message had said. We tried to comfort him, but over the two years, he had sunk into a depressed state of mind."  
"But...what of his ningen mother? He still had her. She would have kept him healthy and happy," Hiei tried to reason with his own feelings.  
"Hiei," Yusuke said in a voice filled with so much sadness that the fire demon turned to the detective. He met chocolate brown eyes filled with sorrow and pity. "Shiori died two years ago. It was at that time that Kurama really began to believe that you would never come back. He believed he was alone...and he was, in a sense, right. God, I've never seen him like that. In one month, he tried to kill himself six times, Hiei. Six times."  
The fire demon suddenly found breathing much more difficult. His fox had needed him and he hadn't been there. Kurama's mother had died and he had no one to comfort him. On top of that, Kurama thought that Hiei had abandoned him. If the fire demon had thought that he was the forgotten one, how must the fox have felt?  
"We got lucky and caught him each time before he could succeed in killing himself. He got really close once...Kami-sama, he barely made it. It took all of us a year to get him out of it. He's never been quite the same, but he has learned to be happy again," Yusuke looked down at the rock and Hiei's saddened gaze of terrified shock drifted back to the lake. "I was with him when he locked his window, Hiei. I was there when he gave up all hope of you ever coming back..."  
  
~~~~Flashback~~~~  
  
"Kurama, you coming?" Yusuke called up the stairs. When he didn't hear a respond, he got nervous and raced up the stairs. Kurama hadn't been doing well lately. He had tried his second suicide attempt yesterday.  
Yusuke ran into Kurama's bedroom of his apartment and saw the fox staring out the window. He took a step towards Kurama when he heard him whisper out into the air.  
"Goodbye, Hiei. I'll never forget you...I promise," the fox whispered to the wind. Yusuke watched in shock as Kurama slowly pulled the window closed and hooked the latch. He turned around to face the detective.  
His green eyes were full of depression, sadness, and despair. He looked tired and his red hair was not well kept. He no longer held himself with the pride and grace of the Yoko within. Both had been suffering. A single tear moved slowly down the fox's cheek and passed his lips. Lips that had not formed his stunning smile in months.  
"I've said goodbye and he's not coming back. Let's go..."  
  
~~~End Flashback~~~~  
  
"No one can wait forever, Hiei. Especially not when they have no hope," Yusuke said as he finished his story. "But he never broke his promise. He never forgot you, Hiei."  
"Wh...what about his child?" Hiei stumbled as he tried to keep himself from crying again.  
"What child?"  
"The little human girl. Amy...she had dark hair and blue eyes," Hiei said as he turned to Yusuke. The detective was staring at him.  
"Hiei, that was his niece. His little brother's daughter," Yusuke informed the demon whose eyes opened wide. "I told you, he never forgot you. He never even looked for another to love. He never found someone to care for...and he never found someone to care for him..."  
"Fox...I left you alone for so long..." it was a whisper. Suddenly Yusuke's words sunk in. "You mean..."  
"Yeah, Hiei, he still loves you...but he doesn't think that you love him."  
"I...I should have come back...I shouldn't have listened to Mukuro...she said he never came by...Mukuro," Hiei spat out the name in hatred and anger. "That bionic bitch! I'll kill her...she ruined my chance of being happy!"  
"No Hiei, she damaged your chance, but it's still there. Come with me to Kurama's," Yusuke offered as he stood up and the fire demon turned to him.  
"But...after everything I've done...he should hate me," Hiei sunk back into despair.  
"I can't believe you Hiei! Are you going to leave him again?!" the detective yelled and Hiei looked up to him. "You left him alone once because you believed a lie that Mukuro had told you! Now you're going to do it again because you think he has good reason to hate you!"  
Hiei growled and stood up. "I never left him and I'm not going to do it now so SHUT UP!" he yelled and Yusuke smirked.  
"Much better, now come on," Yusuke said and jumped off the rock. Hiei stared at him for a moment before he shook his head and followed, knowing Yusuke had tricked him into going.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kurama pulled into the driveway of his house and shut off the engine. He leaned his head back against the seat as a tear made it's way down his cheek. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped out of the car.  
Quietly, he closed it and leaned against the car for a second. Trying to clear his misty eyes and confused mind, he took another deep breath. He made his way up to his house.  
It was a two-story house of white paint with deep red linings on the garage and front door. Deep oak wood made up the door and a rose was engraved in the window three-fourths the way up the entrance. Plants and trees of all types surrounded the house.  
For his love of nature, Kurama had bought a house near the hills where there was more space and the beauty was unlimited. His backyard extended into the forested hills and six months ago, his friends had helped him build a pond with willow trees and a small waterfall flowing off of the nearby river. It had soon built up into a small lake and teemed with wildlife. It was the perfect way off getting away when the world just seemed too much to handle.  
Kurama was tempted to just go around to the back of the house but he did need to put his work things inside. Sighing, he opened the wooden door and stepped inside his neatly kept house. Kicking off his shoes, he walked into the office room and set what he was carrying on the corner desk.  
He walked back out of the room and turned left to the kitchen. He paused at the door to the outside as he heard a small noise behind him. He extended his senses as his hand left the door.  
Suddenly the fox ducked as a punch went through the air. He dropped to the ground and swung his leg out behind him, catching his attacker off guard. The figured fell to the floor hard. Kurama stood up and turned to his opponent when a large weight slammed into him and he fell to the ground, hitting his head in the process.  
Quickly, he grabbed a seed and grew it into a long plant sword. He shoved his attacker off him with a punch to the face. Standing up, he held the plant in a defensive position as he looked around at his attackers.  
They totaled five in all (including the demon now holding his bleeding nose) and they were dressed in guards' uniforms of oranges and dim grayish greens [5]. Kurama knew those uniforms. He'd seen them too many times to forget those.  
'Mukuro!' Kurama thought in anger. 'I should have expected something like this.'  
One of the demons chuckled. "Yes, you should have!"  
"Telepathy!" Kurama said in shock as he built a mental wall around his thoughts. The demon laughed and took out a dagger from his boot.  
"Well, Lord Mukuro would like a word with you," the same demon said. He had bright orange hair and a third eye that looked natural under his bangs. Suddenly he lunged at the fox who dodged and moved to attack when a purple haired demon swiped at him with a sword of pure ice. Kurama did a back handspring to avoid her attack.  
A blue haired demon slammed into the kitsune and caught him off guard. The two fell to the ground as Kurama shoved his vine sword into the arm of the demon. He screamed as the sharp weapon pierced his skin. Kurama kicked him in the chest as blood began to splatter atop of the kitsune. The demon stumbled back, the sword still sticking through his arm.  
Kurama moved to sit up but another demon came and slashed at him with a sword. He rolled and stood up only to stumble back, avoiding another swipe.  
'They're attacking me one by one when they know I cannot take all five of them...' Kurama thought as his eyes took on a cold aspect of anger. 'They're just toying with me...a game for them...Well, two can play this game'  
Kurama smiled as the demon approached him again. Mist began to surround him and he heard the orange haired demon shout a command: stop him. The Yoko's hair was just streaking silver and his fox accessories had just grown in when he felt the cold touch of metal to his throat.  
"Don't even think about it, fox," a deep voice came from behind him. The owner of the voice grabbed the kitsune's wrist and twisted it up to his back. Kurama, still in shock that someone had made it through the mist that surrounded him, could only grimace at the sharp pain that lanced up his shoulder. Normally, it didn't take long to transform but the mist that surrounded the Yoko was dangerous and full of his ki in case any demon attempted to come through. [6]  
Having no other choice, he stopped in mid transformation and the mist slowly disappeared. When he was visible to the other demons, they looked surprised at the stop when their eyes drifted to the dagger and then to the owner. Recognition and then amusement rushed through their eyes as they surrounded the fox and took out wards. Kurama growled at his unseen captive but that got him nowhere.  
"Don't fuss fox and just relax, we're not here to hurt you," the deep voice came from beside his ear but the fox only growled again. Kurama struggled as the demon kept him immobile. "Relax, relax, fox. This won't take long...just relax."  
The orange haired demon stepped forth, wards in one of his clawed hands. Kurama kicked out at the demon but he was held from behind. Long, silky black hair fell over Kurama's shoulder as his captive leaned in so that his mouth was hovering next to the kitsune's ear.  
"Stop struggling fox," the voice grumbled softly but Kurama did not listen. He fought against the hand gripping his wrist as the other demons tried to slip the wards onto him.  
"Stop, fox. I don't want to have to hurt you more," the voice warned as his arm was pulled lightly and his shoulder began to ache. Reluctantly, Kurama stopped his struggles as the ache turned into a throbbing. The hand holding his wrist loosened. "There, now relax, we're not going to hurt you."  
"Like hell you aren't," the fox growled but he kept his rebellious thoughts down. The demon chuckled and the orange haired one neared.  
"Now just stay still, fox," the deep voice whispered into his ear. "This won't hurt, but we can't have you using your energy."  
The orange haired demon held out a ward and grabbed Kurama's wrist. The fox struggled but stopped as his aching shoulder was wrenched up even farther. The ward was tied tightly over his wrist.  
His demon captive slowly loosed his grip and let the sore arm fall back down. There it was warded. One more ward was held up by the orange- headed demon and at the sight of it Kurama tried to back away as the demon neared.  
"No, fox. Just relax, just one more ward," his captives annoyingly soothing voice calmed the fox.  
"No...get that away from me..." Kurama tried to pull away again put the soothing voice echoed in his ears and he found his muscles in a sort of trance.  
'His voice...what's it doing to me...I cant gather the strength to move...'  
  
The orange demon leaned in and wrapped the ward around the fox's neck twice and Kurama immediately fell limp in the demon's hands, though he was not unconscious.  
The ward was of a common kind, used when one does not wish his victim to fight. It renders one's defenses completely useless and takes away all ability to argue or defy a command. If brought to it's full power, it will render the victim completely immobile. But when first placed upon the body, it cannot handle the effect and the user passes out from pure exhaust of his or her natural fighting towards the ward.  
"There, that's better," the demon said as he supported the kitsune. "We're just going to take a short trip into the Makai."  
'No...' Kurama thought as he drifted in and out of consciousness, unable to move. 'Mukuro only wants me as bait...no...I can't let her. I'll kill myself before I allow her to use me to her liking...'  
"Sleep, fox. Sleep," the deep voice came from behind him and Kurama felt his eyelids close and he knew no more.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
[3] I know, big words for him but you gotta remember that he is now 23 (14(his starting age) + 2(years of being detective) +7(years Hiei was gone) = 23 so that's how I got his age) (That would make Kurama 24 just in case you were curious!) [4] That sounded really Peter Pan-ish but that's where I got the idea. I just thought it really fit Hiei always coming in through the window, ne? [4 ½] This is kinda an add-on to Footnote 4. This sounded even more Peter Pan-ish but once again, if you would like the reason as to why it sounds that way, read footnote number four. Shadow: Repeat steps two and three, stir gently, and then bake at 365 degrees for ten minutes. [5] I have no clue if that's what her guards wear, I simply guessed so sue me. [6] I have no idea if that is true but it seemed stupid that he would transform if the demons could just catch him before he could finish...so I improvised.  
  
Heh, would you believe I almost forgot to include the footnotes? What's the point in a footnote if you forget to write it in, ne? Anyways, I hoped you liked the new chapter and I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed. Hope you all like the new chapter! Review please! 


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